Keys for Visiting a Patent Attorney

One of the exciting opportunities for an eCommerce store owner is to offer unique products. What becomes even more exciting is when the product is unique enough to warrant patenting. Whether this newest product is a toy or a time saving device, you will need help from a patent attorney to get everything registered and set up so that you can sell your product in your eCommerce store without risking loss of the patent.

Gather All of the Paperwork Relating to the Product

One of the first things that you need before you visit the patent attorney is all of the paperwork. A patent attorney cannot assist you if you do not provide him with all of the information he needs. While he will conduct some of the research on his own, having the development and product specifications in hand will allow the attorney to give you a good overview.

Do Not Sell Your Product in the Store

Make sure that your product is not currently being sold. Patent law functions differently from copyright law. While copyright applies to your articles, images, and other similar creations as soon as you make them, patent protects whoever gets the product or item in to the patent office first. While there are many POS machines out there, only the ones whose inventors got their registration in are able to claim patent protection. This likewise applies to all legal protections that you could obtain. One of the things that makes patent theft so serious is the fact that the developer or the eCommerce store that originally had the patent cannot get legal action unless they can prove the theft. This can be very difficult to do. So do not sell your patent pending product until the paperwork is filed. A good attorney will ask you about this and make sure that you take down the product if it is at risk for being stolen.

Find Out About Multiple Services

When you visit the patent attorney for your eCommerce store product, you will want to find out whether he also handles other forms of legal protection. One of the things you will want, for instance, is a non disclosure agreement. All of your employees or anyone else who sees the details of the product should sign this non disclosure agreement. You may also need a non competition agreement. If you developed this in the course of a partnership, you may need to have a document drawn up that details the ownership of the patent. Do not assume any division of ownership unless expressly stated. A patent attorney who handles all of these things can help you get everything in order for patenting your product and protecting your interests. However, if he does not, you will need to get a lawyer to assist you with these documents to provide the fullest protection you will need.

Patent attorneys are necessary when you want to patent a product for your eCommerce store. You’ll need to gather up all of your paperwork and documentation relating to the product you want to patent. Until the paperwork is filed, you should avoid selling it. If someone else beats you to the patent, then you may be without resource. Finally, you will need other services, and ideally, you will want to find out whether he can handle the other services that you will need.